April 2026 Featured Release - The Sphere Edition

So just like that we find that a new month is upon us which of course means that we’ll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we’re asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. We’re really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on our chosen releases so don’t be shy.

This month's feature release for The Sphere, nominated by me (Shadowdoom9 (Andi)), is the 2012 4th album by Swiss industrial/cyber metal band Sybreed, God is an Automaton. I've been wanting to make a Sybreed album a Sphere feature release for a long time, and I decided to start with this album that may not be their best one but a solid swansong before their decade-long split. A great way for anyone to get into Sybreed for the first time!

https://metal.academy/releases/3265

Here's my review summary:

Sybreed was formed in 2003 in Switzerland, a country in Europe surrounded by other countries like Germany, France, and Italy, and sharing the same languages as those countries. This band blends industrial metal with elements of other styles including the groove metal of Devildriver, the djent of Meshuggah, and even a dash of black metal. Their 4th album God is an Automaton was one last trip through this experimental cyber dimension. Most of the songs are solid anthems of groove-ish industrial metal. Any open-minded listener can appreciate this bridge between industrial and groove. There's really only one weak track. One other minor issue to note for this album is the lack of audible bass. Brushing that aside, this revolutionary band made their last attack. They've recently returned with a Slave Design remaster and a new track, and they will make more music, so this album won't be the last we've heard from this band....

4/5

Recommended tracks: "The Line of Least Resistance", "Red Nova Ignition", "Hightech Versus Lowlife", "Challenger", "Into the Blackest Light", "Destruction and Bliss"

For fans of: Fear Factory, Mnemic, Samael